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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27909781">Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectromanceinmymind/pseuds/perfectromanceinmymind'>perfectromanceinmymind</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SIX!kids!Samcedes 'verse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Glee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:47:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27909781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectromanceinmymind/pseuds/perfectromanceinmymind</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Various holiday snapshots in my SIX!kids!Samcedes universe.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SIX!kids!Samcedes 'verse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sweetest Little Snowflake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I feel like some Christmas one-shots for my SIX!kids!Samcedes universe was kind of an inevitability. This first one is probably more just Christmas-adjacent but I've got some more that will be coming. As with the everyday 'Thank Heaven...' series, we will jump around in time, depending on where the inspiration strikes. Enjoy - happy holidays, let me know what you think!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>December 2027</p><p>"Darn it, Sam, I can hear you talking in the background of the video," Mercedes complained as she came into the living room, frowning at her phone.</p><p>Sam looked up from where he was sprawled on the couch and shrugged. "So? I maintain it was a valid question. Let's see if people agree."</p><p>Mercedes shook her head as she made shooing motions at his legs. "Move and let your pregnant wife have space to sit."</p><p>He complied, sitting up straighter so she could sit down next to him, even as he said, "We have two armchairs and a little couch – why do you need to sit here?"</p><p>"A loveseat, Sam," she said, making a face at him. "And I thought I'd sit next to you so we could watch this video together. Although I'm not sure why, talking through your daughter's performance, giving me a hard time about where I want to sit – you're a pain in my ass."</p><p>Sam grinned. "You love me," he declared, slinging one arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a side-hug with the other arm</p><p>She laughed, settling into his embrace. "I do. It's my fatal flaw. When we take Gabby to see Santa, I'm going to ask him to bring me a normal husband."</p><p>"Well, then, I'm gonna ask for a wife who appreciates me," Sam countered, rolling his eyes at her.</p><p>Mercedes laughed again. "Okay, I guess we're even then."</p><p>"Anyway," Sam said, holding out his hand, reaching for her phone, "Let me see the video." As Mercedes handed him her phone, he added, "Is our little star snowflake asleep?"</p><p>Mercedes nodded. "Should be by now. Performing is exhausting, you know. And so is being beside yourself with excitement over it being barely a week until Christmas."</p><p>Sam laughed as he hit play on the video and Mercedes shifted against his shoulder so she could see it too. Gabby's preschool had held their Christmas show and class parties that morning and Gabby had made her stage debut as a snowflake. Sure enough, a few moments into the performance of "Let it Snow!" you could very clearly hear Sam asking why in the world anyone would try to make two-year-olds sing a song with the word 'delightful' in it (in singing it, they had all completely mangled it), followed by Mercedes shushing him.</p><p>"See?" She said, giving him a reproachful look. "I can't put that on Facebook."</p><p>"Sure you can," Sam said. "I'm telling you, people will agree with me."</p><p>"I'm not really disputing what you said, just the fact that you said it." She was quiet for a minute before voicing her other concern. "Besides, do we really want to be 'those' parents? Constantly putting crap about our kids on social media?"</p><p>"Hell, yes, we do," Sam said immediately. "We've spent the last seven years looking at endless videos of Tracy and then of Hudson and Jackson and Liam and JJ as they all came along so yes, it is absolutely time for all those parents to have to look at our kid."</p><p>"Oh my God," Mercedes laughed. "Is that how it works? Really?"</p><p>Sam shrugged. "I don't make the rules, babe."</p><p>She shook her head. "You're an idiot," she said, the affection in her voice tempering the word choice.</p><p>"Yeah, well," Sam said, pointing at his wedding ring, "I'm your idiot, for the rest of our lives, so, Merry Christmas and post the video."</p><p>"Okay, okay," she said, opening the Facebook app and posting the video with the caption 'So proud of Gabby in her stage debut!'</p><p>"Done," she said, as Sam's phone pinged with the notification that she'd tagged him in the post.</p><p>"Besides," Sam said, "Gabby will love it when we read the comments to her in the morning."</p><p>"Like that child needs to get any more self-important."</p><p>"She's still little, we haven't ruined her yet," Sam said. "Besides," he added, putting his hand on her belly, "she's only got four months to go before this one turns her world upside down."</p><p>Mercedes smiled, putting her hand over his. "As a younger sibling, I resent the implication there."</p><p>"As an oldest child, I can tell you, it's a shock to the system."</p><p>"I bet it really was for you," Mercedes said thoughtfully. "Eight years of being an only child and then bam! A brother AND a sister."</p><p>"Yeah, that probably was a lot of it," Sam agreed. "Gabby might struggle at first, but she's never really going to remember being the only one."</p><p>"Probably not."</p><p>They were quiet for a few minutes and then Sam accepted his December fate and asked, "So what cheesy Christmas movie are you making me watch tonight?"</p><p>Mercedes scoffed. "Please. You know you love them even more than I do."</p><p>Sam just laughed and turned the TV on.</p><p>Mercedes was up at five o'clock the next morning, thanks to her pregnancy bladder, and as she made her way back to the bed, she was intercepted.</p><p>"Mommy, is Christmas yet?"</p><p>"No, sweetie, not yet. It's not even time to get up today yet," Mercedes said, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. "C'mon, come lay here with me and Daddy and we'll go back to sleep, okay?"</p><p>Gabby nodded, crawling to the middle of the bed to lay down beside her father, who was sprawled on his back, still sound asleep, snoring lightly.</p><p>Gabby turned towards Mercedes as she got back in bed. "When Christmas?"</p><p>Mercedes smiled. "It's in one week. Seven more sleeps."</p><p>Gabby nodded, her eyelids already fluttering closed. "Okay," she mumbled and Mercedes laughed softly. Christmas was going to be fun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The More the Merrier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There may still be another part to this particular year but I don't know. I've been stuck on this for days, so maybe if I share and move on to something else I can come back to it later. Anyway - enjoy! (As a refresher - the kids' ages here are Gabby – 11 (turning 12 in January), Zoe – 8, Brianna – 4, Caleb – 2, Allison &amp; Olivia – 11 months)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Christmas 2036</strong>
</p><p>Mercedes stood at their kitchen island, pen in hand, staring at the grocery list she was working on. There was almost certainly something she was forgetting.</p><p>"Why, Sam?" she said as her husband came into the kitchen. "WHY did we invite ALL of both our families here for Christmas?"</p><p>"Because Christmas last year sucked," Sam said bluntly. "You – well, you know, " he muttered, cutting himself off and busying himself in the fridge and she smiled gently at his back.</p><p>"Yeah. I know," she said quietly. He was right – last Christmas she'd been eight months pregnant with the twins, put on bed rest at the beginning of December until they'd arrived on the third of January, and Sam still didn't like to talk about how scared he'd been for both her and them, in addition to feeling overwhelmed by being the primary caretaker for the other four kids as well as still having to deal with the winter concert at school. Her mother had practically moved in with them for the duration and had been a huge help and she'd at least been allowed to move from their bedroom to the living room couch each day and they'd made the best of it for the kids, but it had definitely been the worst Christmas of their marriage.</p><p>She kept her eyes on him, watching as he emerged from the fridge with a bottle of water that he set down on the counter and came over to her, startling her a little as he pulled her into a tight hug.</p><p>"Sam," she said quietly. "I'm fine. The babies are fine…" Her voice trailed off as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.</p><p>"I know," he replied, his voice low and gruff. "It's just – thinking about this time last year…"</p><p>She nodded, relaxing into his embrace for a moment. Every now and then she was still somehow almost surprised by the intensity of his feelings for her and hers for him. Fourteen years of marriage and bringing six children into the world together had only served to strengthen their bond.</p><p>Which was probably a good thing, since the toddler/preschool years were definitely the hardest on a marriage and they now had four kids age four and under. And it was the twenty-third of December. And Sam's parents and sister were arriving within hours. And his brother and relatively new sister-in-law would be there the next day. And her parents, brother, sister-in-law and two nieces would all join them for dinner on Christmas Day. Thank God James and Paula and their girls could stay at her parents' house.</p><p>"Sam?" she said again, leaning her head back just enough to meet his eyes.</p><p>"Mmhm?"</p><p>"I love you. But I have got to leave for the grocery store before the twins and Caleb wake up from their naps; if Allie sees me, I'll never get out the door. And your parents and Stacy will be here in like, three hours."</p><p>Sam nodded, reluctantly releasing her and she turned back to check over the grocery list.</p><p>"Am I forgetting anything?" she said and he stepped up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he glanced over the items written in her neat, curly script.</p><p>"Stuff for the kids to make cookies with mom?"</p><p>"Yup."</p><p>"Everything for the taco bar tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yup."</p><p>"Christmas breakfast?"</p><p>She pointed at the list. "Bacon, eggs, cinnamon rolls. Oh, more coffee!" she said, grabbing her pen again. "I didn't think about there being seven adults in the house."</p><p>"And your parents are bringing the ham, right?"</p><p>She nodded. "Yup and I've got all the stuff for the sides, so I think I'm good."</p><p>"Mommy, can you get Pop-Tarts?"</p><p>They looked up, startled, as Zoe had somehow entered the kitchen without their noticing.</p><p>Mercedes frowned. "Those are such junk," she protested.</p><p>"But they're so GOOD," Zoe declared.</p><p>"They are good," Sam agreed and she didn't even have to turn her head to look at him to know he was grinning.</p><p>"Yeah! Daddy, tell her to buy them."</p><p>Sam looked at his daughter. "Are you new here, kid? Since when does your mother do what I tell her to do?"</p><p>They both had to stifle laughter as they watched Zoe contemplate this question in full eight-year-old seriousness.</p><p>"I guess she doesn't?" she finally offered and Sam nodded.</p><p>"You're darn right I don't," Mercedes said. "But – since you asked nicely and maybe if Daddy asks nicely too – "</p><p>At this, Sam immediately cut her off with "Please, 'Cedes? It is Christmas break."</p><p>"Fine," she said with a laugh, writing it at the bottom of the list. "I can't break both your hearts at Christmas."</p><p>"Score!" Sam said to Zoe, holding out his hand for her to high five, which she did with glee.</p><p>"Thanks, Mom!" she said cheerfully, running back out of the kitchen, and Mercedes shook her head.</p><p>"Why is that one so much easier to deal with than the older one?" Mercedes wondered out loud and Sam snorted.</p><p>"Well, first of all, she's not a moody pre-teen yet," he said.</p><p>"And second?"</p><p>Sam gave his wife a look. "Are you really gonna make me say it?"</p><p>Mercedes narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, yeah, now I am."</p><p>Sam shook his head. "Because Gabby is your mini-me. Not just in looks but in personality too."</p><p>Mercedes opened her mouth to protest and then shut it again. Damnit, he was right. She and Gabby were too much alike, strong-willed, sassy and stubborn, especially now that Gabby stood on the edge of her teen years. Zoe was much more like Sam – affable and easy-going.</p><p>"Ugh," she finally said. "I hate it when you're right."</p><p>Sam laughed. "As does Gabby."</p><p>Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Oh, hush. I'm leaving." Grabbing her list, she pulled the baby monitor out of her back pocket and handed it to him, gave him a kiss and headed out the door, calling over her shoulder for them to please vacuum the living room before she got back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 364 Days to Go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh my gosh, you guys, I have to say that I REALLY love how this one turned out. It's inspired by the Brad Paisley song '364 Days to Go' and if you don't know it, I would suggest you give it a listen. I wanted the story to have the same relaxed, dreamy, hazy feel of the song, so I hope I managed that. PLEASE let me know if you like it! Kid age reminder - Gabby is 7, about to turn 8 in January, Zoe is 4 and Brianna is 5 months old.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>C<strong>hristmas Day 2032</strong></p><p>Mercedes stifled a yawn as she glanced at the sink, full of their Christmas breakfast dishes, and shook her head. They could wait till tomorrow.</p><p>Padding into the living room, she paused in the doorway to survey the scene. There was still some stray wrapping paper scattered around, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that either. The two older girls had woken them up around six that morning and of course the ensuing commotion had woken baby Brianna and while the excitement and adrenaline (and the several cups of coffee Sam had kept her supplied with) had kept her going, they were halfway through the afternoon now and she was running out of steam.</p><p>Her eyes settled on Sam, who appeared to be sound asleep on the couch, legs stretched out on the footrest in front of him, Bri (also asleep), curled up on his chest, one of his hands resting on her back.</p><p>Mercedes smiled. There was just something about seeing her husband hold their babies that made him ridiculously attractive to her. Maybe it was the contrast of their little bodies cradled in his big hands. Maybe it was just the tenderness he showed them, how obviously he adored their girls.</p><p>Whatever it was, looking at him now, Mercedes knew it was basically inevitable, that they would have another baby. They hadn't really talked about it, but she could still just about guarantee they'd be trying again by this time next year.</p><p>As if he could feel her looking at him, Sam opened his eyes then – maybe he hadn't been totally asleep after all – and he smiled at her. "Hey."</p><p>"Hey," she replied. "Room for one more in this nap situation?" she asked as she crossed the room to the couch.</p><p>"Baby, there is always room for you in any situation I'm in," he replied with a grin, wrapping his arm around her as she curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder and watching the rise and fall of Brianna's breathing.</p><p>"Nice hoodie," Sam remarked idly and Mercedes smirked.</p><p>"I thought so when I bought it for you." She'd gotten chilly earlier and instead of going to find anything of her own, had just put on one of Sam's Christmas gifts.</p><p>Sam laughed. "Looks better on you anyway."</p><p>Mercedes rolled her eyes but didn't protest the compliment. "So peaceful," she murmured, reaching out to stroke the soft baby skin of Bri's cheek with her index finger.</p><p>Sam nodded. "Even those two," he said, indicating the two older girls on the floor in front of them – Gabby with her new American Girl doll and its accompanying accessories, Zoe with a sticker/coloring book.</p><p>Mercedes nudged Sam with her elbow. "Look at her face," she said softly, referring to Zoe. "She looks exactly like you do when you're concentrating on something."</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>She nodded. "Trust me, I've seen that expression a lot."</p><p>"I'll take your word for it."</p><p>Mercedes looked closer at Gabby then, stretched out on the floor with her doll. "No wonder they're not fighting. Gab's asleep."</p><p>Sam laughed as he peered over Bri's head at their oldest daughter. "Serves her right, busting up in our room at the ass-crack of dawn this morning."</p><p>Mercedes laughed too, then sobered quickly as she realized, "Oh God, tonight's going to be a nightmare, if she's napping now."</p><p>Sam shrugged, sounding philosophical as he said, "Oh well. It's Christmas. We'll get back to reality tomorrow. Or the next day."</p><p>Mercedes smiled, snuggling closer into his side. He was right, it wasn't worth worrying about. Right now, she was too comfortable, too relaxed to do anything other than soak in this moment with her husband and their children.</p><p>"Isn't it funny? How it's just one day, but it makes you feel like all the troubles you have just don't matter, just for one day?" Mercedes asked.</p><p>Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah. Like, remember when I moved to Kentucky?"</p><p>Mercedes rolled her eyes. "No, I forgot the first time I gained the title of Sam Evans' ex-girlfriend," she said sarcastically.</p><p>"Well. Yeah. Sorry. Dumb question," Sam said, sounding a little sheepish as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.</p><p>"It's okay," she said gently. "I think it's worked out okay in the end."</p><p>"I think so too," he agreed, bending his head to kiss her for real. "Anyway," he continued as they broke apart, "my point was that when I went back to Kentucky for Christmas, everything was a mess. You and I hadn't figured things out, Blaine and I had this whole weird tension, I missed my mom and dad and even Stevie and Stacy – all of that. But I got home and I spent Christmas with my family and I just, like, had this sense that everything was going to be okay. And it was, eventually." He shrugged again. "It's like a reset day, right?"</p><p>Mercedes smiled at him. "Yeah. I like that." She shifted on the couch, still leaning against him but more with her back against his side, his arm now slung almost diagonally across her chest. She looped her arm around his, her hand on top of his, entwining their fingers.</p><p>"Mommy?" Zoe had abandoned her book and come over to the side of the couch.</p><p>"Yes, sweetie?"</p><p>"I'm tired."</p><p>Mercedes tried not to laugh. "I bet you are. C'mere, you want to lay on the couch with us?"</p><p>She nodded, climbing up beside her, Mercedes tucking her in to her side with her free arm.</p><p>"I love Christmas," she whispered to Mercedes, as if she were revealing a grand secret.</p><p>"Yeah?" Mercedes replied. "Daddy and I were just talking about how we like it too."</p><p>Zoe nodded. "How many days till it's Christmas again?"</p><p>Sam laughed. "Three hundred and sixty-four. Be here before you know it."</p><p>She nodded again, already half-asleep, and within moments, she was out completely.</p><p>"Oh, Sam," Mercedes said, almost overwhelmed by emotion, "It might be Christmas talking, but oh my gosh, I just love them so much, love you so much."</p><p>He nodded, squeezing her hand. "I know. Me too. Love them, love you…"</p><p>His voice trailed off as she turned her head, found his lips with hers. "Just for now," she said, as they broke apart and she settled her head back against his chest, "the world seems right."</p><p>Sam smiled. "Merry Christmas, baby."</p><p>Mercedes smiled too. "Merry Christmas," she echoed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Merry Christmas! Just a little scene that I'm sure was repeated in many households today. (Not mine, thankfully!) Enjoy!</p><p>(Children's age refresher - Gabby - 11, Zoe – 8, Bri – 4, Caleb – 2, twins – 11 months)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Christmas Day, 2036</strong>
</p><p>It was still dark on Christmas morning when Mercedes was awakened by the sound of excited whispers, or rather, attempts at whispers that were actually ridiculously loud.</p><p>"YOU wake them up!"</p><p>"No, you do it!"</p><p>Mercedes turned from her side to her back, squinting in the darkness, trying to figure out which kids it was and suddenly one of them said, "Make Allie do it!" and then there was a baby in her face.</p><p>"Ow – what the hell?" On the other side of the bed, Sam wasn't faring much better, as Gabby had followed Zoe's lead and dumped the other twin on her father. Mercedes had at least been marginally awake – Sam, however, was unceremoniously roused by a few kicks to the face from Olivia.</p><p>"Shh," Mercedes said, almost automatically as she punched his arm while she pushed herself to a sitting position, Allie in her lap.</p><p>"Ow!" Sam complained again. "Why am I getting attacked from all sides? Where did the babies come from?" he asked, even as he turned on his side towards the middle of the bed, snuggling Olivia in beside him.</p><p>Mercedes couldn't help it – she giggled at that question. "Do you really need me to explain it to you, honey?"</p><p>Now it was Sam's turn to swat at her arm. "Ha, ha."</p><p>"ANYway," Mercedes said, her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, "I think they had some help."</p><p>"It's Christmas, Daddy!" Zoe finally couldn't contain her excitement anymore and jumped into the middle of the bed, Bri and Caleb following, Sam wincing as he got climbed on, not having sat up yet.</p><p>"The babies were ready to get up," Gabby said, affecting an air of nonchalance from her spot still standing by the bed.</p><p>"Oh, I see," Mercedes said, feeling around on the night stand for her phone. "This was all Allie and Livvie's idea, huh?" She found her phone and checked the time – 5:23 am – and then glanced down at the baby in her arms, who was nearly asleep again.</p><p>Gabby nodded. "Uh-huh."</p><p>Mercedes shook her head. "Well, it's too early to wake up Nanny and Pop and your aunts and uncle, so you might as well either join the crowd here or go back to your own bed at least until it's light outside."</p><p>Gabby hesitated a moment before climbing on the bed and joining the rest of the family.</p><p>Mercedes shook her head as the room got a little lighter and she could more clearly see them all. Allie in her lap, Zoe and Gabby squished in between her and Sam. Sam was turned sideways with Livvie in the crook of his arm, his other arm over Brianna, who had sprawled out on his lap and then Caleb was draped over his legs.</p><p>"Mommy!" Brianna said in a loud whisper, looking over at her mother. "Did Santa come?"</p><p>Mercedes smiled. "I just woke up, I don't know," she replied. "What do you guys think?"</p><p>"He did," Zoe said with confidence. "I went downstairs and peeked." At her parents' gasps of mock horror, she hastily added, "I only looked! I didn't touch anything!"</p><p>"Mmhmm," Mercedes said mildly. "Well, I guess that's okay. What do you think, Dad?" she said to Sam, who shook his head and grinned. The room was bright enough now they could actually see each other's faces.</p><p>"I think there are a lot of people in this bed," Sam said, a teasing lilt to his voice. "Why did we have so many kids anyway?"</p><p>Mercedes laughed as he winked at her. "Because you do cute stuff like that and I'm a sucker," she muttered, leaning over Zoe and Gabby's heads to give him a kiss, which was of course rewarded with a chorus of groans and ews from the bigger children.</p><p>"Because you looooooovvvvve us," Brianna declared in full four-year-old dramatic fashion, wiggling around until her head was resting on her sister's legs, making all of them laugh.</p><p>"Oh, that's right," Sam said, yawning. "What time is it, anyway?"</p><p>Mercedes looked at her phone again. "Little before six."</p><p>"Okay, we can't wake Nanny and Pop up until at least after seven. That's been their rule my whole life, okay, guys?" Sam said. "So let's try to get a little more sleep. Then we can have Christmas."</p>
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